Until Next Time (Liam Payne)

I show up for work on Thursday and as I'm driving past I notice people standing outside of the office building. My phone rings, its my secretary.
"Rachel, come in through the parking garage elevators, people are looking for you"
I'm a little taken back, who wants me? I do as she suggested and head down to the lobby to see what the fuss is about. Its about me. The moment they catch a glimpse of me through the glass, cameras start going off. I turn and head back upstairs. Didn't take long for them to find me. I get on Twitter to see just what is going on. The concert. I was right. Several photos were taken of me there. I had decided that this would not interfere with my life so I get to work right away.
I get a few texts from Liam telling me he has seen Twitter and asks if all is going well. I assure him it is and tell him about this morning. He tells me if there is anything he can do to make it easier, to let him know. I assure him I have it under control, or well, security does for the time being.
A friend who works in the same building e mails and asks if I want to do lunch I respond with, PLEASE! We meet and walk out through the parking garage on foot. Thankfully no one was around and we were not followed. We eat at a deli and talk about what all has been going on in both our lives since our last lunch together. She talks about her family and me, my love life of course. We finish and decide to head back to the office a little early. As were walking I notice I have been spotted. Great. I let her know just to keep walking, ignore them, and keep your head down. She gets the giggles, which makes me laugh. So now we look like idiots laughing hysterically walking down the street with a group of photographers trying to catch us. Unfortunately, we get ambushed, but thankfully were at our office building. She is able to escape and is going to get the security guards. I get to the top of the steps and they're getting really pushy. Its the domino effect, someone pushes someone, they fall into me, I fall down concrete steps, 16 to be exact.
I come to slightly in the back of an ambulance and quickly succumb to sleep again.
I wake up that evening in the hospital. I have little recollection of what happened. I have a huge goose egg on my head. My face and left arm is all scratched up. My right arm is in a cast. I try to move my legs, they hurt really bad. I lift the covers and they, as well, are all skinned up. Looks as though I have a broke ankle also. Great, just effing great.
My parents walk in. My mom is in hysterics, nothing new there. Our family friend the pilot flew them up almost immediately. My dad, appearing more calm than my mom, informs me, attorneys have been contacted. I just want to hide. Pull the covers over my head and hide. I want Liam. Has anyone called him? He has a show tonight but I dont want to upset him before a show. He's in Texas, just an hour behind us, so its a little after 8 there. Its too late to get him now.
"Has anyone contacted Liam?"
Our relationship is still new and has been kept under wraps so when I ask this, they just look at me.
"Has anyone called Liam?" I yell.
Obviously the pain killers have made me bitchy.
"No sweet heart, we don't know how to get in touch with him." my mom sweetly says.
"Well if someone will get me my phone, I'll do it." I snap
What seems like an eternity, someone locates my purse. I text him.
Call as soon as you can. Pap. episode today. Kind of important.
My parents wont leave, I wish they would. My mother is constantly checking on me. I am fine. I'm on enough pain killers for a horse. Though they are helping with the breaks, my head is killing me. I just want the lights out. My dad keeps walking in and out. He has called my sisters. Again, great. Its all I can do not to yell obscenities for everyone to leave me alone. I just lay my head back, cover my face with the sheet and cry. The hands on the clock are not moving and the pain medicine is making me very sleepy.
Roughly midnight the phone rings. I'm stiff and have a hard time moving. I answer it, my speech slightly slurred.
"Hello"
"What the hell is going on?"
"I accidentally got pushed down some concrete steps today by people taking pictures"
He is furious. "I'll be there as soon as I can" and he hangs up.
I push the off button and I'm back asleep.
I wake up, look over and he's holding my hand, sitting with the chair pulled up to the bed, his head resting on the bed, asleep. I squeeze his hand and he wakes up. He stands up and kisses my forehead.
"I don't have another show til tomorrow. I'm here now".
I smile and a tear goes down my cheek. He kisses the tear away.
My parents come in and announce the doctor is on his way in. Apparently I was lucky. Just a small concussion, small break in my ankle but my arm took the brunt of the fall and will need surgery - today.
All I can think about is my job. I do not have time for this. I have to be in England in 6 weeks. That's minimal time for healing. I have work to do to prepare for this. Lots of work. I lay my head back in disgust. The doctor is talking to my parents about the surgery, with Liam listening intently. The time is given and how long it should take. Oh, and I cant eat .I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday and that was light. I'm starved.
The doctor leaves and everyone turns and looks at me. What am I supposed to say or do? The anesthesiologist is on his way up. I'm just aggravated. I like to have a sense of control and I have none. Absolutely none. My parents pat my leg and tell me they are going to get a bite to eat and possibly go to the hotel and rest and will be back before my surgery is over.
"I'm not leaving." Liam says matter of factly.
He moves me over in the bed, scoots up next to me and gets the remote. I lay my head over on him and rest, waiting on the anesthesiologist. He starts flipping channels and stops at a music channel and is giving me all sorts of facts on the song, music or artist. A One Direction video comes on and he laughs. He tells me all the behind the scene things that went on and he can hardly contain himself with laughing. I lay there and smile.
"Thank you for coming, even though you have to leave in the morning."
"No one could have stopped me."
The anesthesiologist comes in and Liam moves to the chair. They go over stuff with me and I sign the papers. They start to wheel me out. Liam comes over and kisses me gently and tells me he'll be there when I wake up.
When I come to, he is true to his word, hes there, asleep, snoring lightly. I wish I had a pillow to throw at him. I can barley think so throwing anything is out of the question. He wakes up and scoots the chair to my side. My parents make their way in and tell me the surgery went great without a hitch. I should be able to go home possibly tomorrow. My mom is being mom and I've been on my own long enough that it is getting on my nerves. An attorney has returned my dads call, wonderful. They are going to stay to see me home and comfortable and then head back to south Georgia. They kiss me and let me and Liam have some time to together. He slides the chair back to its original position and gets in bed with me, grabbing the remote again. I'm still under a lot of medicine so slide back into sleep. I wake up around supper time and they bring me some food, finally. I pick at it, as hungry as I am, I don't feel like eating. Liam picks at it and decides he might have to go out and get something later. I lay my head on him. I don't want him to leave tomorrow. He holds my hand, careful around the IVs. I then remember I have not looked in the mirror for over 24 hours. I must be a sight.
"What do I look like?"
He turns and looks on both sides of me. "Like you've been through Hell, but you're still beautiful." He bends down and kisses me. "You do know I could take advantage of you and there's nothing you could do about it?"
I cock my eyebrow at him and he laughs.
"I wish I could stay and see you home and make sure everything is taken care of. I am so sorry this happened to you. I wish I could be near you and protect you."
"You cant protect me form everything and everyone."
"I know, but it doesn't mean I don't want to."
"I know and I'm glad you came to be with me and thank you." I smile warmly at him and feel the need to sleep coming over me quickly. "Wake me before you leave, please."
"I will love."
I go to sleep.

Notes